Recently, various attempts have been made to provide additional functions in a network (for example, a LAN) structured by connecting a computer, a printer, and various other electronic apparatuses in addition to the standard functions of transmitting and receiving information via the network. In particular, these additional functions have included several technologies for managing an electronic apparatus effectively by means of E-mail.
For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2707459 (Japanese Un-Examined Patent Application, Tokukaihei, No. 2-172348: published on Jul. 3, 1990) discloses a facsimile apparatus provided with interface means having an E-mail function that connects, the facsimile apparatus with a network.
In this case, a sender (a user sending information) of image information inputs identification information used in the computer network as his sender's identification information (sender's ID information). Upon the completion of the transmission of the image information by a sending facsimile apparatus, the sending facsimile apparatus prepares transmission result report information that reports the result of the transmission and thereafter sends the transmission result report information in a form of E-mail addressed to the sender's ID information via the computer network. Furthermore, in case the receiving facsimile apparatus, when identification information (receiver's ID information) of a receiver (a user receiving the transmitted information) is input into the computer network before the transmission of the image information, the receiving facsimile apparatus prepares receipt result report information that reports a receipt result after completion of its receipt of the image information and thereafter sends the receipt result report information in a form of E-mail addressed to the receiver's ID information via the computer network, at the same time that the transmission result report information is sent to the sender's I.D. information via the computer network.
With this arrangement, when a facsimile message is transmitted or received by the facsimile apparatus of a user that is connected to the computer network, a transmission result or a receipt result is automatically sent to the sender and/or to the receiver from his facsimile apparatus. This allows the sender and the receiver to surely obtain information regarding the transmission or the receipt of the image information by their associated facsimile apparatus by checking for the receipt of an E-mail at their respective computers, without the necessity going to the location at which their associated the facsimile apparatus is located.
Moreover, Japanese Un-Examined Patent Application, Tokukai, No. 2000-181302 (published on Jun. 30, 2000) discloses an image forming apparatus management system, in which a plurality of image forming apparatuses and a central management apparatus equipped with a computer are connected via a public communication network, a communication adaptor, and a wire or wireless interface, such that the central management apparatus can perform central management of each image forming apparatus.
This image forming apparatus management system has as its main objects a reduction in (a) the required number of communication lines, (b) the communication period and (c) communication charges, in addition to a shortening of the processing time of the central management apparatus. To achieve these objects, each image forming apparatus is provided with data management means, and a management terminal to be connected to the communication adaptor is provided with data recording means, data processing means and data transmission mean for reporting a no data acquisition condition. Further, the central management apparatus is provided with data transmission means for reporting a service request.
The image forming apparatus uses data management means provided therein to manage usage information of the image forming apparatus, and to output response data that shows the usage information, upon receipt of data reading instructions from the management terminal.
The management terminal first records in a data recording means information on the types of the image forming apparatuses connected to the network, usage information of each image forming apparatus, and associated data including a data collection date or a data accumulation date. Then, the management terminal automatically sends data reading instructions to the respective image forming apparatuses on their associated data collection date or their associated data accumulation date, or a few days before. The data processing means collects or accumulates the response data respectively outputted from the data management means of each image forming apparatus. Meanwhile, if no response data is acquired from a particular image forming apparatus, the data transmission means for reporting no data acquisition automatically sends reporting data for reporting that no data acquisition to the central management apparatus.
The central management apparatus is arranged to use the network data transmission means to automatically send, to outside, reporting data requesting service in order to find the cause that has prevented the management terminal from acquiring response data from particular ones of the image forming apparatuses, or all of the image forming apparatuses, and to receive repair service, when the central management apparatus receives the reporting data for reporting no data acquisition. The transmission of the reporting data also can be carried out via E-mail.
The above arrangement, where the management terminal collects and accumulates response data from each image forming apparatus on predetermined data collection dates or data accumulation dates, reduces the number of required communication line, the communication period, and also shortens operation time (for example, the data processing time of the central management apparatus). Moreover, when no response data is acquired, the data for reporting no data acquisition is automatically sent to the central management apparatus, so that the central management apparatus automatically requests a service department, for example via E-mail as mentioned above, to perform the service required to find the cause that is preventing the data acquisition. This makes it possible to solve the problem of no data acquisition in a short time.
E-mail is advantageous in the situation just discussed, for example, because: its transmission time is relatively short; it is easy to reply E-mail; it is simple to save and reuse E-mail data; and E-mail can be transmitted or received regardless of situation of the receiver of the apparatus requiring service. Therefore, it is known that the advantages of E-mail may be utilized to manage an electronic apparatus, but no method of managing an electronic apparatus, which effectively utilizes the advantages of E-mail for that purpose, has been suggested.
For example, in the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2707459, E-mail, as a subsidiary means to a facsimile apparatus, is utilized for informing a result of transmission and/or reception that has been performed by a facsimile apparatus—that is, simply for sending to a personal computer the result of the transmission and reception performed by the facsimile apparatus.
Similarly, in the technology disclosed in Japanese Un-Examined Patent Application, Tokukai, No. 2000-181302, E-mail is used only for communications between a central management apparatus and a service department (i.e., E-mail is used only when a trouble condition such as no data being acquired is encountered).
Therefore, in the technologies disclosed in the applications and Publications referred to above, E-mail does not play a principal role in the management of the electronic apparatus. Therefore, those applications fail to utilize E-mail effectively.
Furthermore, even when E-mail has been utilized in the art, there is no significant difference between a conventional management method without using E-mail and the management method in which E-mail is used in those situations in which the use of E-mail is limited to simple transmission of information. Further, in addition to those advantages mentioned above, E-mail has another advantage that E-mail realizes a fast and sure communication with a remote location. Therefore, it is expected that E-mail can be utilized in a management system for a sure management of an electronic apparatus at a remote location. However, the simple use of E-mail discussed above cannot realize a satisfactory remote management system.
For example, where a management system is provided with an electronic apparatus such as an image forming apparatus to send an E-mail from the image forming apparatus to a manager (a service provider), the manager receives an E-mail message indication reading “no paper” or “no toner” from the image forming apparatus. In this way, the manager can supply paper or toner in accordance with the notice, or can manage consumptive goods such as paper or toner so that he can place an order for the consumptive goods (for example, by telephone), if necessary, in accordance with the notice. In this case, however, the use of E-mail makes no significant improvement in the art, thereby failing to make a significant difference from the conventional management method or management system.
Therefore, even if E-mail is used to communicate in a management system for managing an electronic apparatus, the management system is not a remote management system that enables the service provider to respond (i.e., deal with) surely to the needs of the electronic apparatus with much consideration of the needs of the user.
In addition, in the technology disclosed in Japanese Un-Examined Patent Application, Tokukai, No. 2000-181302, the service is provided only in those cases where no response data is acquired from the image forming apparatus. Thus, service is provided without determining whether the image forming apparatus itself has a problem in terms of maintenance, or the image forming apparatus has experienced a trouble event adversely impacting its future operation. In short, the main objects of the prior art are reducing the number of the communication lines, the communication period, and the data processing time, but that technology is insufficient for the provision of proper service to effectively solve the problems encountered by an electronic apparatus.
Therefore, the above technologies are inadequate as a management system for the electronic apparatus, such as the image forming apparatus that requires intensive service in terms for its correct maintenance.